The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume], March 04, 1773, Image 1

About The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1772-1775

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Or, Thomas’s Bolton Journal.
A Weekly, Political, and Commercial Paper :—Open to all Parties, but Influenced by None.
<OO thou LIBER fY inspire our Souls,—And make oar Lives in th vPolTcflion happy,--Or, in thy J us>t Defence.’
Vol. lII.]
FRIDAY, February 26.
. , • .London.
Thehumb’e *bdriss of her gh; honourable
the Lords Ipi.Lual and tempo al, in parliament
assembled, to the King.
Die Jovis, 26” Nowmbris, 1772.
Most Gracious Sovereign,
»E,. your Majelly’s m'.ft
dutiful and ky«l fub
je£L, .he Lord* spiritual
and temporal, in parlia
ment affeinbled, return
our humble ard most
unfeigned tha r ks to your
MsjeHy, for your molt
gracious speech from the
thmne. \
•* We gratefully rcknowledge your Msjefty*:
goodneG, in the gracious aflurances we have re
cuvcd, that your M'jJty would have confukcd
our private convenience, «f some very interellug
public concerns had not required the early
meeting of parliament.
“ Yuur Mijefty may be allured, th 4 we will
apply ourselves dil gently to whatever mav con
cern the commerce or revenue of the kingdom,
or the lights and rntcreft of any part of ycu>
Majetty’s fubjeftr : That we are thoroughly
convinced the affairs of the Eail India con'piny
deserve and require our most ierious considerati
on ; and that we will not negled an ol jed of
such national importance.
“ Permit us. Sir. to express the happiness we
feil, at having re-son to hope, from the ommu
nic«tion your Majesty has been pleased to make
to us, that the war, which h s so long prevailed
in one part of Europe, is drawing to a conclufi
on : A happineh that is gjratly incteafed, by
the addititiond profpeft it affords of the dura
tion of peace ; which, we trull, the alteration:
that have happened in Europe will not, in their
confcquences afteft ; being ever firmly perlu
ded, that your Majesty’s uniform endeavours to
preserve the general tranquility will be directed,
on a l pccafiona, by a doe regard to the honou
of your crown, and the interests of your people
“ With hearts deeply affeded, we learn th it
the produce of the late harveit has not given the
relief so cflcntially ncceflary to the p orer fort ol
yourM.j tty’s fubjeds : A».d,co fdousthatwe
can do no aft so acceptable to your Mjefty, a
exerting our utmost eff -rts to cor.tribu.e to the
case and comfort of all your people; we beg
leave to iffure your Mqefty, that this cbj ft,
which your paternal cate and tenderness have
so particuia y pointed out, fhail engage our ut
moff attention.”
His Majesty’s mod gracious Akswer.
“My Lokds
«« I ' H ihK you for tbit autiful and efidio-
note audrefi.
«• Tuc zeal you exprefi in it for the honour of
tny crown, and tbe rights and inter efts of my peo
ple. give/ me tbe bigbeft feti fadlion.
•« I firmly rej, that all your deliberations will
tend to fiub meatures at /ball be most conducive to
the great objiS you have before yin Among tbeje
I art lure, you will not forget to provide for tbe dij
reffts of the poor, as far as it is in tbe power of
’umdn iviftom to alleviate them "
she humble Address of the House Com
. mms to the King,
•‘Most GRACtous Sovereign,
“ WE, your M»jdty’s mull dutiful srd loyal
Gbj As, thecomtmr.s of Great Biitain, in par
liament assembled, beg leave to return your
M.j:fty cur humble thanks for your most gra
cious (p'echfrom the throne.
“We ickao^lelge, with the exaeS gra
titude your Majetty’s great goodrefs, in your
coolant attention to whatever concerrs either
the commerce and revenue of ycur kingdom at
Urge, or the private right* and in ter efts of con-
numbers among ycur people. And
weretun our moQ out ful tha. ks to your Majef*
ty for h»virg given m an eatly upportuci y of
informing cufelvet fu ly of the true Rate of the
affair* of the East India company : And assure
your M jefty, that, imprtffed with a due sense
of the g.e«t importance of the buQnefs, we will,
without delay, procred to the confideraticn cf
it; and endeavour to provide in the most effee
tua. m inner that the nature of the case will ad
mit, for "the common benefit and fe:mity cf all
ths great ao<> weigKtv inteeils recommended to
cu' c»re by your M jetty.
“ Y ur faithful commons cannot but tejaice,
i hear that jew M»j-Ry has rcaun la hope,
THURSDAY, March 4, 1773.
that the war which hrs io long unhappily pre
vailed in one part of Eur >pe, is now drawing to
•a c <nc ufion ; and hat the lavou able profp-A
of the duration of petes, which fe probability
of th'* eVent affords us, will not be aff-ded by
the alterations * htch have lately happened :
And we fed the highest fatisfadion, at the as
finances, which your M jeuy contitues tn re
ceive from foreign power*, of their pac fie dd
pofitiona towards ibis country ; and at th: f me
time we moil g-atcfully acknowledge your Mr
jelly’s gracious declaration, that it »i l be your
conflint endeavour to preserve the general tran
qu-1 ty, aa fir aa it confitle.it with the hor our .of
your crown, and .he interests of your pe pie.
Your Majedy may be -flared, that your
faithful commons will chearfu ly grart such lup
plies as the services of the eniuing year (hah re
quire : And although we are convinced, that it
mud ever be for the interest and er.utation cf
this country, to have a confide able (bo gth at
fen; yet we learn with much Gtisfadijn, ih’t
your M.jelty has been enabl d, during the
comfe o. thia year, to proceed m the redudion of
your naval edabldiment.
*’ Fermi, us to c(Fer to your M»j ?dy our most
hi mile and un cigned thanks, for the p re nil
and .fLdionate concern, which your Mj.'lly
has for the dist tiles which the poor
continue to fufF-r, from the dearness of corn.
And we allure you Majesty, th at a ciligent *>7
temio.l (hail not be wantieg, on cur part/
conftder of the most pre per means for pre vet ipj
the increase of the evil; and for ailev
p.e ent diftrefTea, aa far as they are in the r rap
ture capable of relief; being persuaded, that we
cannot >e dcr any fervicc more accep abl * to
your M. jelly, than by e ntiibutir.g to the happi
nets of a!1 your people ”
His MAjEoTY’s mdt gracious AN3WE <
to the AOdreG of the House of Commons:
“ Gentlemen,
“ I RETURN y»a my hearty thanks fur
1 bij very aU’ifnl address
* Tbe <f) trances you give me of your tefohtti
on to enttr into the immediate cuifi.tra ien of tbe
mfoitant aft airs wbicb I have reclaim/nd. dto
you, afford me great idtnyaflien', and 1 buv tbe
Jul it ft Confiitnce. that you <wiil endeavour, at for
as het tn your power, ts aueviaie tbe difts jfis •/
my people, who an ibe cenftaUi objeßs of my care
••nd ajfiction
Mr. Thomas,
You are desired to fubHJh the fol' owing from
the New-Yolk Journal.
AMONG the London news writers
there are fame whose pub kations have
a tendency to sap the foundations of the En
ghlh conlfituuon, and by infenftble
to prepare the minds of the people for the re
ception of arbitrary government. Every
occurrence is so represented as to promote
such a deiign, sometimes, to degrade the
cunlfitution, it is leprele.ued as a mere chi
mera, an empty name or notion ; and that
all other nations though under the muff
arbitrary governments, are equally fond of
their refpedive constitutions as we are of
ours ;Io that there is no preference among
them, but what is founded io national preju
dice ; at other times* the conifrution itfdf
is charged with the evils we in conse
quence of its violation, such as tiots and
uiiorders, and the licencious freedom of the
press, &c.occafuned by oppreili >ns; allo the
dilorders at elections, the inequality in par
liamentary representation, the bribery and
corrupt practices in the eiedion of members,
their continuance in office independent on
the will of their conlfituents and nu
merous other cases that might be mentioned.
At other times, in order to silence our com
plaints again# those who are making daily
incroachments upon our rights, the freedom
and advantages we still enjoy, are compared
with the opprelfion and misery of thole nati
ons which have long since yeilded up their
rights, and become the absolute slaves of
tyrannical power ; as if that power, if once
compleatly cftaaMhed over us, would net
have the fame direful eff.dts it has h.d in
the other nations, once as uce as we are.
At other times the most arbitrary and un
conftitutiona! exertions of power, are repre
tented as lega'and right, and the most lau
d .b e eff >r<s f»r the piefervation of the malt
(acred lights f humanity are branded with
the mod odious epi hets and represented a
faction, rebellion, It would be high')
benefic al to the public if (ome gentlemen of
eifuc and ability wou’d make it their bufi
Dels to deted and expafe (ho e m fchievous
Writers, inorder to counteract their ma’ignity.
I was led into rheie lefle&ions by reading
(ome paragraphs in rhe London General
Evening Poll of the 5 h of September last,
wh ch I here with fend, and d<fne you will
inkrt them in your next paper together wi h
the remarks subjoined, winch will ob ige
your constant reader,
A Fri nd to Great Britain and her colonies.
’* London, September 5. It is exceeding
lyuhmfteal that though the Enghfh con
fider thcintelves as the 01 ly free nation in
Europe, every other is cqual’y captivated
wt hib conftttutioh. In. Ruffians, whm
we repte'ent as mifeiablc Haves, dtpoku
their pi Lee to maintain their rights; and
tncPules a e at this moment glorying in the
of their liberty, though three
dJFcM\rmies belonging to different prin-
F 1 b**“ d death thf 'Ugh*
innate country.
The state of that Pol (h gentry,who are a
this mo.nent (cattcred in a mifeiab'e exile
through the principal cities of .he continen
is Du*) dcplorab c ; their iorg c ivi diftertir ns
have entirely exhausted a I their ready money,
and no returns are now to be expelled from
their estates. Their country is alm< fl——
in the hands of ft rangers, and they Ice.
though to late, that it ts better even to have
a defpntic prince of their own. than to be
under the government of a despotic enemy.
The scarcity of money we hear, is (o ex
c ffive, even in the neighbourhood of the
great cities in Poland, that a fine horse Is
cheerfully fold for a ducat; the edible ani
mals,however, ate in a manner eaten up by
various enenes ■ The grounds,
.ikewife, remain uncultivated and all thc
lorrorsof a fp/edy famine threaten wi h
he ca a nitics of civil war to compleate the
ieftruA.on ofjhc wretched inhabitants *
* Whether this writer was himfelf deceiv
ed or intended to deceive others, 1 biow not,
but he certainly mifrep r esents the matter in
hand. Every nation is naturally fond of their
own customs and manne s fofur as they are just
and rtafonable, and have contributed to their
profit or pleasure : and are content to bear
many inconvt niencies and hardjhips rather than
to change their fttuation, not knowing perhaps
that any other is more deJitable, or that a
change might not be for the worse. But no nation
was ever fond of anycuflomor thing merely be
caujeitgave them pain or uneafine 's, though
sometimes they would chufe to tndure tbofe e
vih for the take of jome real or imaginary good
connededwith it But none chufes evil, tha
is pain or uneaftmfi) merely for its own fake •
nor do any refufe good (that is plea jure or hap
pinefs) but on account of the real or imaginary
pain that is to proceed or follow it. Thus the
Ruffians pccufionud to the yoke of slavery, and
by a tyrannical power kept in ignerauce of ma
ny of their natural rights, are fenfsble however
of jome, and enjoy them perhaps with a higher
relijh in proportion to the Jmallnefs of their
number ; and therefore would resent and pu
nijh an attempt to violate them as Jeverely as
if they were in every refpeil a free people. As
to the Polanders they mat thank tbemfelves for
all the dijlrefs. and misery of their tdftoappy
country, they have brought it to deflruiiton and
are at last involved in it themjelves, and all b\
’he very fame tyrannical principles, whicn this
writer endeavours to i ncuicate, and whi h the
generallity of the nobility and gentry of Great
Britain are nt tbit time a cling upon, and pur-
I he B ifton patriots are again amufmg
| themselves tn fomenting a quarrel with the
moihrr country ; the crown has it terms
lately judiciously made its Governor irdc
p n enton'thr American uflimblies. That
his greitly nettled the Fabii and Detii of
Mdllachufetts Bay; they insist-that the King’s
maintaining the Governor’s eftabhlhmenr,
is an inversion of their constitution, and
they have (piritedly voted the English mimf-
Urs, who gave that advice, little less than
traitors to the crown, and enemies, to the
pe >p'e,
One wnu’J imagine, at a fi ft g’ance,
that -.he Boston patriots ought to rej ice at
their being exonerated fiom the expence of
the G jvemor’s eftab dh nent ; butthetruth
is, while the Governor was dependant upon
them, they ait-jally were governors them
fdvea. If he refuted to pass f ut h bills aa
they orde ed, they refute to allow him any
salary ; fu that he was general y starved into
compliance, and the cfficer of the crown
obliged,in most things, to cuuntcradl the very
views of his mallei J
suing wit hall their might. They aiming themfcl
ves at unbounded freedom a freedom withoutcoq.
troul just as the Boles did.are daily tyrannizing
over the poor and cemmon people, 'encroaching
upon their rights,and drawing them into a state
fflavery, But if this is once compleatly es-
feded the confit/nene s will crtaihly be the fame
in England as they have been in Poland an 1
ny other nations,and they who occafi ned the de
jbuflioti, will be the deipeft Jharcrs in it
themselves. This writers com !u/ion therefore,
in favour of def pot if n from the pt efent flute of
tie Ruffians and Folariders, h extemely absurd,
x Upon the fame principles, this writ,/ next
endeavour s to ente> tain the public at the ex
pence of the pe-ple of Boftcn,whom he sneering y
calls the Boston patriots, and jays are again
amuleing themselves in fomenting a quancl
wi’.h their mother count y. If the Boflon
people in the contention with their mother coun
try aim at nothing but the preservation of
their just rights, md proceed in the mojl pru
dent and peaceable methods they can devsfe,
they undoubtedly deserve to be honoured and e
ftcemed as real patriots by every true friend to
Englund and its excellent cmflitution. If the
mojt important rights of the people of B:Jlon
are urjuftly invaded, and they in their own
de, erne, are only endeavouring to maintain them
in the n.oft peaceable manner possible, it is mojl
injurious to repref nt them as Jomenters of a
c/uar/el with their mother country.
He fays the crown has judxioufly made
its Governors independent of the American
ailcmblies, &c. the event will shew whether
this was judiciously done or not ; at prejent
/ think the people in Ames ica who are mo ft
deeply and immediately concerned are more like by
to judge rightly of the tban either
this writer or the minif/ry. Let any man as
common under/landing judge whether a Goi<er~
nor whoje interefi depends upon and it united
with that of the people over whom he prelides,
or one who is unconneHled with them in intereji
and wholly independent of them, is most likely
to uje his endeavours to promote their interflar.d
happinejs ? Would the people of Gt, at- Britain
be pieajed to be governed by a King thus un
connetied with and independent of them? If
not, they imagine that their brethren
in America, entitled to the Very fame rights
and pf iv.bges, should be jatisfied with jueb a
Governor ? Or that freing such a one upon
them is not an inverpan of their con/Hiution or
that tbe mmijlers who advised the me a jure,
were not guilty of a high breach of duty to toe
crown ana to tbe people f
He fays, at tuft gianceone would i nagine
tbe Iduiton patriots ought to tej .ice at temg
exontra cd t orn the expence of the Gover
nor's eitaanihmem, &c. it muji be a very
[Far tbs remainder ke the iaft
[Numb. 109.